The Swordsmith's Wish and the Spirit's Grudge
by Winged Ikaros
Summary: All stories begin with a change. This one starts when Teruhi Masamune, an ordinary blacksmith, aids a rather special and motley group of pilgrims and their goddess one stormy night. This encounter will change Masamune's fate, making her reconsiderate her beliefs and foundations of her life. Little does she know that it will also set the spark for great changes on Gensokyo...


_**AN: **Hello, my dear readers! This is Winged Ikaros speaking. First of all, I want to thank you for spending your precious time reading this piece of fiction. In this section I will be commenting things that I believe you need to know before submerging yourselves into this story. I'll try to make it short, but it's important, so please bear with it for a few seconds. Although if you want to skip this part then go ahead - it's not like I can't stop you... Oh well.**  
**_

_As you read this story, some of you (I fear very few) might recognise the OC that stars this story -Teruhi Masamune- if you read **Hidden Story of Eastern Wonderland**. You see, **The Swordsmith's Wish** is actually a complete rewriting of that fic, with the same protagonist and base setting, but completely different story. If you take a look at my profile, you'll see that HSoEW is nowhere to be seen on my -I regretfully admit- short list of stories. Exactly, I completely erased it from . With this, I want you to forget that HSoEW ever existed, and I'd like you not to make any comparisons between TSW and it. This piece of fiction is completely different from that; the only thing they share is the cast, but some characters have experienced a complete wash-up as well. Of course, if you haven't read HSoEW, then this shouldn't be a problem at all for you._

_Also, I want to take this space to give my deepest thanks to **Kaiser Dude**, who selflessly agreed to make a betareading of an early stage of this prologue; to **Fonzi** **the Survivalist** and **Hunter97**, who helped me with eventual questions alongside with Kaiser when I was stuck, and to all the guys and girls at the** Let's Danmaku IIRC chatroom, **just for being there and make my evenings enjoyable while I write._

_Well, that's it, I think this Author Notes section has dragged for too long. Now please, enjoy this prologue! Reviews are always appreciated, and constructive criticts are more than welcome._

* * *

_**Obligatory Disclaimer:** All Touhou characters and canon settings are property of ZUN. All OCs and original settings are creation of this author, Winged Ikaros._

**Prologue: **Gods and Worshippers

The world is at constant change. All that's needed to confirm it is a look at the window; a glance at the thick forest full of life, with the birds flying, the cicadas chirping, the squirrels and raccoons jumping from branch to branch, and for the most patient eye, the plants growing steadily. Every year, one after the other, you can expect the fairies gleefully laughing at the beginning of the spring, playing pranks on whoever is unfortunate enough to cross path with them. Every night, one after the other, you can expect a youkai lurking in the bushes to ambush the unwary traveler who is ignorant enough to leave the safety of the village at dusk. Gensokyo is brimming of life and magic, and its inhabitants enjoy the chaotic cycle of nature that its landscapes present to them every day.

But the oldest of them know better than that, for they have seen this old dance over and over again for many years. For the eye that has watched the same spectacle countless times, it's impossible not to notice a general scheme lying under the seemingly random cycle of nature; the water that falls from the Youkai Mountains evaporates, and thanks to the tengu power over the wind, it travels East to the Great Border, where it rains down and waters the cherry trees that will bloom every spring with pink petals. On winter, the power of the ice fairies and yukki-onnas changes the flux of hot air, bringing terrible snowstorms to the West. And so on.

But these people hold the belief that they must not interfere on this cycle. After all, who are they to question the wisdom of Gensokyo? They might have power over some phenomena, but precisely because of that they know exactly how delicately beautiful and fragile the cycle of nature is. And thus, the false sense of change lingers on forever, sustained by these old beings.

Then there are the humans, the beings with weak bodies and short life spans, but endless potential. Unable to survive under the strict law of the strongest by their own means, they used their intellect and wit to bend the laws of nature in their favor. In the outside world, they have obtained absolute control over the land and its resources, erecting enormous cities where nature wouldn't permit life, and creating artifacts that challenged the laws of physics. But on Gensokyo, the land of nature and magic, their visionary drive has been stalled by the sheer power of magic and youkai. Under the constant threat of being devoured, the few humans that dare to live in Gensokyo had clustered together in small villages scattered around the land. The technological advances that changed the outside world simply did not take place there, for the few visionaries that dared to make a move usually ended up on the jaws of a hungry youkai, or blown up trying to master the ways of magic. In short, humans on Gensokyo are exactly the same as a few centuries ago, trapped in a feudal stasis.

Most of these humans have come to terms with this, and learned to enjoy their short and simple lives. These people devote their time to practice a humble profession, earning their daily cup of rice, and spending their free time with their friends and family. To the eyes of the long-lived youkai, they are but worms that have no conscience of their purpose in life and die in a few days. From time to time, one of them appears to shine amongst the other worms, promising something interesting, but for one reason or another they accidentally get crushed by the youkai… or by their own neighbors.

But what would happen if one of these shining worms manages to ditch their weak bodies and escape the deadly embrace of time? They evolve into beautiful butterflies that catch the eye of the spectators with their colorful wings decorated in wishes, dreams and visions. All it takes for big changes to happen is a single flutter. The air moved by their wings will alter the preset currents of air, bringing storms to deserts, and hurricanes to prairies. Just by a single stroke, the whole world experiments deep changes. And some of the old youkai, used to the never-changing cycle of nature, have grown wary of the shining worms, for they fear whatever the flutter of the butterfly's wings may bring upon Gensokyo.

* * *

All interesting stories begin with a change, however small it is. This story in particular starts in the middle of a stormy spring night, on an unremarkable human village. The whole town was submerged in darkness and silence, and the windows of the houses were unlit. All the villagers were either in deep sleep or trying to get to it, as the sound of wind and rain furiously hitting on the walls and windows didn't let them. However, as if defying the supremacy of nature, a loud and monotonous sound of pounding metal resonated periodically over the storm. The thunderous clash came from a building at the outskirts of the circle of houses of the village. The building itself seemed no different from the others, save for a circular separate hut made entirely of stone at its side; a rare sight on a village of houses made of bamboo and wood. A column of smoke came from the top of the hut, but the storm and the darkness concealed it. What the storm wasn't able to hide was the dim light of a fire that was slipping out of the only entrance, promising warmth inside the hut.

This heat was greatly welcomed by a group of travelers who came to town from the West Road. The ensemble was formed by three figures: one was of medium stature and was leading the group with a small lamp, illuminating their surroundings; the second was the tallest of the three and was pulling a small cart with great effort, and the third –and the smallest of them- was sitting on said cart, apparently too tired to keep walking. The three of them wore dark, muddied and ragged capes that did little to protect them from the harsh weather, and by their exaggerated movements, it seemed like they were on the brink of collapse. Seeing the light emanating from that stone hut raised their spirits a bit.

The leader of the group signaled the taller figure to stop while she walked towards her other companion. The leader shook the sleeping figure, trying to wake her up, but she got no response.

"She won't wake up…" she said. "This journey has taken a big toll on her body."

"We're all tired. It'll do us no good to keep going like this," responded the taller figure, heaving from the effort.

"Right. I'm gonna check that light out. Maybe the person living there will give us refuge for the night."

"I don't know, Rika. It's very late. I don't think they'll let a group of pilgrims in at night."

"Very well, did you see any inn on the way here that I missed? Do you have a better idea, Meira? I'm listening," said Rika, who was on her nerves due to extreme extenuation.

Meira only buffed, still trying to catch her breath.

"I'll take that as a 'no', then. I'll go ask, you stay here and take care of the girl and the _hokora_, alright?" said Rika.

Meira nodded, and let her body fall to the ground with her back resting on the cart she'd been pushing all day. After checking the small girl for a last time, Rika walked to the stone hut, guided by the light like a moth to a flame, and peeked through the entrance. On the inside she found a woman in her mid thirties manning a burning forge, alternating between hitting a bar of candent steel with a hammer and bellowing the fire. The woman was tall and sported a muscular complexion –most probably thanks to her line of work-; her developed biceps marked by the frayed and singed vest she wore. She kept her short black hair away from her eyes with a small hairpin, and drops of sweat were falling down her forehead. The blacksmith was too focused on her work to notice Rika at the entrance.

The traveler briefly wondered why that woman was working at such late hours, but she sure as hell wasn't going to berate that. Rika herself had spent countless sleepless nights on her works as well, so she was the last person who should say something about it. And at that moment, she was praising the gods for finding someone still awake. With a cough, Rika made herself noticed to the blacksmith, who let out a surprised gasp and bopped in the place.

"Wh-who are you!?" the woman asked, brandishing her hammer at Rika in a defensive manner. It was obvious that she wasn't expecting visit.

"I'm sorry for startling you," Rika said, putting her hands up to signal that she didn't have ill intentions. "My group and I are on a pilgrimage. We've been traveling for a long time, but our cart broke and night fell upon us before we reached the town. We're only looking for a place to rest for the night, and yours is the only light we saw in this village."

The woman stared intensely at Rika, deciding whether or not to believe her story. After a few seconds that seemed eternal for Rika, the blacksmith lowered her hammer and let out an approving sigh.

"Alright, where is the rest of the group?" she asked.

"Outside, with the cart."

"Why didn't you bring them here with you?"

"We didn't want to seem intrusive. Besides, we're already soaked to the bones, so…" explained Rika.

"I see."

The woman put down the hammer and the red hot steel bar she was holding with pincers. She reached for her cape and put it around her shoulders, covering her simple attire and her head with a hood.

"Let's move," she said.

Rika nodded, and guided the woman to where Meira and the girl were waiting. When Meira saw the blacksmith accompanying Rika, she jumped to her feet and greeted her, waving the hand she had resting on the sheathed sword in her waist.

"Oh, thank the gods! I was thinking we wouldn't find any help here," exclaimed Meira.

The woman took a moment to glance at Meira and her sword, the same way he did at Rika before. Then she directed her attention to the girls sleeping in the cart.

"Is she alright?"

"She's just very tired, but she'll catch a nasty cold at this rate," said Meira.

The blacksmith nodded, and gave a quick look to the _hokora_ cart. She stopped for a couple of seconds at the wooden wheel, which had some spikes missing and broken tables.

"This looks completely totaled. What happened?" the woman asked.

"We were attacked by a group of fairies in the middle of the forest. I don't know how, but they managed to get next to us without us noticing and did something to the wheel. Before we knew it, they already flew off, and the cart wasn't able to move properly after that," explained Rika.

"And you dragged the cart in this state all the way here?"

"We had no choice. The forest at night is a dangerous place. Everybody knows that," said Meira. "Still, we're lucky we haven't encountered any feral youkai out there."

"I see… Okay then. My house is small, but I can prepare a room for you three to sleep this night," the woman finally concedes.

"Thank you very much!" Rika bowed in appreciation.

"You saved our lives here, miss…" said Meira, who also bowed, though less sharply than her companion.

"Let's save the introductions for later, after you've warmed up," the woman interrupted. "Follow me. I'll prepare the room and some tea for you."

The woman guided Rika and Meira to her house, the latter carrying the girl piggyback. Taking a big key from one of her pockets, the blacksmith opened the lock of her house and slid the door open, letting the group of travelers in. Muttering an educated 'excuse us', Rika and Meira followed her and took their muddied sandals off. They put them aside at the entrance as they hung their dirty coats where the woman pointed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the group was sitting on a small and austere living room, only comprised by a small square table, a cupboard with nothing on its top and a sword hung on the wall. It looked like the resident didn't spend much time on that room in particular, or that she didn't have much money to spend on decorations. Meira was drying her soaked purple hair with a towel the woman gave her, and Rika was doing the same with the girl's blonde braids, who was still sleeping on her lap. At that moment, the woman entered the room, carrying a small tray with three cups of tea. She put it on the table and sat down with the other three.

"Well then, now that we're settled, I think some introductions are in order. My name is Teruhi Masamune. I'd like to hear your story in more detail," the blacksmith introduced herself to the group.

Rika and Meira exchanged an inquiring look between themselves, deciding who'd do the talking. Rika nodded, and setting a drenched lock of her brown hair away from her eyes, began to speak:

"I'm Rikako Asakura, Rika for short. You can call my partner 'Meira'," she pointed to the tall woman with long purple hair. "And this girl here is Marisa Kirisame," Rika waved to the girl of blonde hair sleeping on her lap. "We're followers of Mima-no-Naemasu, on a pilgrimage to gather faith for our god."

"Mima-no-Naemasu? I have never heard of that god before," said Teruhi in a skeptical tone.

"Well, though I hate to say it, Mima-kami-sama is a lesser deity, and she doesn't have that many followers…" explained Rika, rubbing the back of her head.

"Only you three, I guess."

Rika said nothing and took a sip from her cup, while Meira, who was fidgeting with her sword without saying anything, let out a dry cackle. That's all Teruhi needed to know she'd just hit the nail.

"Anyway, why do you carry your god's _hokora _with you?"

"We don't have an established shrine, so we are forced to roam with Mima-kami-sama's symbol if we want to gather faith," explained Rika.

"I see. It must be tough for you to pull that cart all the time."

"We had a horse, but unfortunately it ran off when the fairies attacked us," said Meira.

"Oh… Sorry to hear that. So you've pulled that broken cart all the way here by yourself? That's quite an impressive feat," complimented Teruhi.

"It was extenuating. I don't think I'll be able to pull it off a second time," said Meira, hiding her abashment.

"Speaking of which, we need to repair the cart as well," spoke Rika, her expression showing deep concern. "That thing won't move until we do something about the wheels."

"I gave it a quick look back there. I'm no carpenter, but I'd say you need a new cart," commented Teruhi.

"Dammit…" cursed Meira.

"However, I can forge replacements parts with metal," continued the blacksmith. "I still need to look at the damaged parts more thoroughly, but I think I can at least make it able to roll again."

"Really? We'd be deeply grateful for that!" said Rika.

"Hold on a minute. It won't be for free, right?" cut Meira short, who was more skeptical.

Teruhi nodded.

"Good steel isn't easy to find, molding it into the required shape takes work and time, and I have to earn my food too," she explained. "One thing is to offer a bed for a group of pilgrims, but I simply can't give resources and effort for free. I'm sorry, but I hope you understand."

"But we don't have enough money to pay it…" sighed Meira, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows in worry.

Rika and Meira remained silent for a few seconds in deep thought.

"Ms. Masamune's right: the cart won't move in that state, and we don't have any other means of transporting the _hokora_," said Rika.

"But we have the Flower Ta-"

A jab on Meira's side stopped her from speaking.

"You know what Mima-sama said about that! We can't depend on it for now!"

"Urgh… And can't you do something about it, Rika? You're an inventor too, you can think of another way, right?" argued Meira, rubbing her sore zone.

"I don't have neither the materials nor the tools required for a repair," explained Rika. "The most I could do is helping Ms. Masamune install the new parts on the cart once she makes them, but I can't fabricate them out of the air, and neither can she."

"The problem is the money, Rika. If you can't repair it on your own, we'll have to pay Ms. Masamune somehow."

"About that, I could talk with some of my friends," interrupted Teruhi. "They're always in need for some extra hands to help them with the crops and other things. They could pay you some coins for a day of manual labor, and with that money you could pay me for the cart parts."

"Manual labor?" said Rika, who apparently didn't like the sound of that.

"We're in no position to be picky," berated Meira. "I'll take whatever chance I can get, as long as we can get the cart repaired as soon as possible. But this means we'll probably have to abuse of your hospitality for more days, Miss."

"My house is small, but I don't mind you sleeping over, as long as you don't cause me many troubles."

"But you don't know how long will it take for you to make the parts, right?" asked Rika.

"Not until I see the damage in more detail."

"Then we don't know how long we'll have to stay at your house."

"Don't worry about that. Look, you're all tired. We can discuss the details tomorrow morning, when you are well rested," said Teruhi.

"…Yeah, you're right. We won't get anything done like this," conceded Rika. "Then we'll go to bed immediately. Could you show us the room, please?"

"Sure, follow me," Teruhi stood up from the table, and so did Rika and Meira, the latter carrying Marisa on her arms.

The blacksmith was still curious about that 'Flower Ta-'something that Meira almost said before Rika interrupted her, but she decided not to interrogate her guests further, seeing how tired they were. She'd get all the answers she wanted the next morning, when Rika and Meira decided what to do. Teruhi showed her tenants the small room where they would sleep and quickly prepared three futons. Then, after telling them where the bathroom was, she left the two women and the girl alone.

* * *

"Weeks of hard work, lost in just five minutes. Fucking great timing there."

Not feeling particularly sleepy, Teruhi was standing at the door of her house, mumbling to herself in an irritated tone. Although she'd been sensitive enough to hide it behind a mask of education, the truth is that she was angry at the group of pilgrims. They couldn't have come at a worst time: when that Rikako startled her, she was in the middle of the process of molding steel for a personal project. In the hurry, she'd left the burning bar exposed to the air, and by now it must have cooled, most probably causing the steel to crack. Teruhi now had to restart the whole process again with more metal, which was expensive and hard to come by in Gensokyo.

"Argh, no use in crying over the spilt milk, Teru. At least I can melt the metal and use it to repair the cart. That way I can save steel for other works," she rambled, trying to comfort herself. It didn't lighten her dark frame of mind, though.

As in contrast with Teruhi's downhearted mood, the rain stopped falling down and the wind blew more gently than before. Moonlight seeped through the grayish clouds, giving the sleeping town an eerie atmosphere. Teruhi decided to take that chance to pull the cart closer to home and inspect it. Taking a small candle lamp and her still wet coat, Teruhi walked close to the _hokora_ lying in the middle of the road.

The _hokora_ itself wasn't out of the ordinary: it was simply a one-meter tall box made of wooden planks, with a sloping roof and two small doors with wood gratings, decorated by a short _shimenawa_. It was being sustained on a simple cart made of wood as well, with two big wheels of roughly 20 inches. The left one had the pegs that sustained the rim missing, and due to constant friction with the ground, the axles were completely splintered or outright split. Teruhi crouched to see the underbody and check the axis, but she saw no important damage there other than scratches. She concluded that the wheel needed a new rim and some of the axles replaced.

Curious about what was inside the _hokora_ box, Teruhi peeked through the gratings, but she couldn't see due to lack of light, even as she held her lamp close to the grating. _Hokora_ traditionally housed small figures of the _kami_ it enshrined, along with some amulets, incense and other apparels, but it could also be used as a _yorishiro_, an object to attract spirits and give them a physical space to occupy. If Rikako and Meira were to be believed, this _hokora_ in particular fell in the first type. But just to be sure, Teruhi reached for the handle of the door…

"Stay your hand, woman!"

A voice from behind startled Teruhi for the second time that night. The blacksmith yelped and quickly turned around while frantically waving her lamp, in a ridiculous attempt to ward off whoever surprised her. She saw a woman with green eyes, long green hair topped by a blue and white cap, and purple ribbon on her neck. She was wearing a light-blue and green dress with white symbols on it under a long purple cape; the typical attire of a western sorceress. The sorceress was pointing a long staff, topped with a white crescent, at Teruhi's neck, but the blacksmith was more surprised at the fact that she had a ghostly tail instead of legs.

"W-who are you!?" asked Teruhi, suddenly having a feeling of déjà-vu.

"I should be asking that question here," said the sorceress. "What were you planning to do, opening the box?"

"I-I was just checking it out to see it wasn't damaged."

"And why would you do that, I wonder? Haven't they taught you not to touch sacred things?" the sorceress drew her staff closer to Teruhi, who took a step back.

"I've been asked by the owner of this cart to repair the broken wheel."

"You lie, sleazy woman. You're speaking with her right now," The lunar-shaped head was now touching the blacksmith's neck.

"What? But Asakura told me-"

When she heard that name, the sorceress furrowed her brows in mild shock, and retired her staff from Teruhi's neck.

"Wait, you know Rikako?"

"Yeah, and Meira and Marisa, too! They asked me for refuge for the night, since they couldn't move the cart. They're now resting at my place."

The sorceress remained silent, wondering how Teruhi knew the names of the three pilgrims.

"Why should I believe you?"

"I can bring them here if you don't trust me," Teruhi took a deep breath, deciding to risk it by being bold. "But I wouldn't advise that, seeing as how they're tired they are. Surely you wouldn't want to put your followers' health at risk… Mima-kami-sama."

This time it was the sorceress' turn to be surprised. She lowered her staff and floated back a few inches, still looking at Teruhi with harsh eyes.

"You know my name too…"

"Rikako told me. Do you believe me now? I didn't intend to disturb your _hokora_; I was just assessing the damage, in order to perform repairs later."

Mima sighed, apparently buying Teruhi's excuse.

"Alright, I'll let you free for now. But don't you dare touch the door again, or I will consume your very soul."

The blacksmith couldn't tell how really serious was that last threat, but she decided not to push it.

"So, Mima-kami-sama…"

"Mima-kami-sama… It has a nice ring to it," said the sorceress, not looking at Teruhi.

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's nothing. You wish to speak with me, woman?"

"Yes, I need your help. I have to push the cart to my courtyard. Could you lend me a hand here?"

Mima let out a loud laugh.

"Did I just hear that right? A human like you, asking a god like me to do physical labors? Either you must be very audacious or very ignorant."

"You don't trust people who come to your sanctuary, you refuse to lend a hand, and you keep insulting me for no good reason… I think I know why you lack faith."

"Excuse me?" Mima said, in a hostile tone.

Teruhi was already getting on her nerves as well. She was already angry because she just lost her progress on her project trying to help some pilgrims; she wasn't going to take crap from their goddess too. Throwing education out of the window, Teruhi spoke with as much scorn as she could muster:

"Seriously, how did you even get those three people to follow you with that nasty attitude? I bet you didn't help them when they were attacked by the fairies at the forest!"

"Watch your mouth, woman! And my followers are more than able to deal with puny fairies on their own. They don't need my assistance for that."

"The state of the cart tells me otherwise. They were left stranded in the middle of the forest and had to pull your _hokora _all the way here with the wheel broken. What were you doing at the time?"

"That's none of your business. My followers have absolute faith in me, and that's all I need for now. Besides, my area of expertise is totally unrelated to dealing with fairies and broken carts."

"Well, do tell me. What kind of power do you have?"

"A filthy peasant like you wouldn't understand."

"Try me," Teruhi crossed her arms in a defiant manner.

The blacksmith and the goddess stared at each other, their eyes setting off sparkles of animosity in the air. Finally, after a minute that seemed longer for Teruhi, Mima spoke:

"Weren't you going to move the cart?"

The blacksmith almost face faulted, not expecting that answer. Deeming it impossible to make Mima talk, Teruhi sighed and began to pull the cart. Because of the broken wheel, the weight of the _hokora_ was dragging on the muddied ground, making the job extremely slow and tiring. Although she prided herself on her own strength, earned through years and years of hammering metal, Teruhi found herself out of breath much sooner than she thought. She had to give credit to Meira if she really managed to pull the cart through the forest with the added weight of Marisa by herself.

"I believe you haven't told me your name yet, woman," said Mima, who was floating alongside Teruhi, keeping her slow rhythm.

"Te… Teruhi Masa… Masamune," said the blacksmith between heaves.

"Alright, Teruhi, do you have a dream?"

"A dream…?"

"Yes, a dream, a wish, something you aim for in your life."

"Well… yes, I guess so. We all have one, right?"

"Yes, we do. What is yours?"

"None… none of your business," responded Teruhi, still bitter at the goddess.

"Oh well… not that I particularly care about it, anyway," Mima shrugged her shoulders, making her cape wave. "What I want to know is… Are you doing something to see that dream come true?"

"What do you… do you mean?"

"Exactly what I'm saying. We all have dreams, wishes, desires; a goal that gives us purpose in life. But many people don't manage to fulfill them, for various reasons."

"Life is not that… that simple. We have to subsist some… somehow. When this land is full… of monsters… trying to eat you alive… you don't have time to dream," Teruhi was already starting to feel her muscles strain from the titanic effort.

"See? That's what I'm talking about!" Mima's tone suddenly became much more aggressive. "You ditch your drive to do what you aim for, and spend the rest of your days repeating the same cycle of subsistence, over and over again, until the day your body withers and perishes. Resigned to live an uneventful, bland and boring life, without accomplishing anything special. Isn't that just sad?"

"That's-"

Before the blacksmith could respond, the broken wheel got stuck between two rocks on the ground, stalling the cart. Teruhi tried to push the cart with more strength, but it was in vain. Mima floated ahead of Teruhi and watched her waste her energy, amused by the spectacle.

"But Rikako, Meira, and even little Marisa, they refused to live like that," the goddess continued. "They mustered the courage and drive to fight for their goals, to stand against the obstacles in life, and overcome them! Ahhhh, but sometimes, a rock appears in their path that is too big and sturdy for them to break through it alone…"

Mima floated to the side of the cart, and summoned a little star made of magic that oozed power and light. With a slight wave of her wand, the star shot towards the rock that was stuck between the rims of the wheel, pulverizing the stone into dust. Like that, Teruhi was able to keep pulling the cart again, albeit with great effort.

"That's why they need me. I take care of whatever hardships and obstacles my followers can't surpass on their own, and they give me faith on humanity in return."

"Yet you didn't help them when… they were attacked… by the fairies," repeated Teruhi.

"You don't get it, do you? I wasn't talking about such trifling meddlers. Don't you understand metaphors?"

"Oh… so you're like… like some sort of… counselor? But you just… used… magic seconds ago."

"Look, Teruhi; my group is on a travel of self-discovery, a pilgrimage to find reassurance in themselves. If I just vaporized every single obstacle they come across, or magically restored the cart every time it breaks, they wouldn't learn to believe in their own abilities. What I did just now was just to drive my point into your thick head," berated the goddess.

"Well, excuuuuuuse me, o great kami, for my limited mortal mind cannot take existentialist debates at late night well," said Teruhi, who stopped pulling the cart to clean her forehead of sweat.

"I supposed so."

Expecting no further answer, Teruhi resumed the arduous labor. The final meters were spent in silence, with Teruhi heavily breathing between pulls and Mima leisurely floating around the cart, while alternating curious glances at the blacksmith and the clouded sky. When Teruhi finished bringing the cart to her courtyard, she let out a big sigh of relief and rested with her back on the _hokora_.

"Phew, finally! That thing looks much heavier than it looks."

"You can thank me for making the trip more interesting," said Mima.

"What? You didn't do a damn thing, apart from rambling about things I don't give a fuck about!"

"Such a foul mouth, befitting for a blacksmith used as a mule. Ohhhhh, it was a rather enjoyable talk, if I say so myself."

Teruhi gritted her teeth, taking offense at that insult. She felt the urge to punch Mima's smug face, but she controlled herself before she did something she'd regret later. However, that didn't stop her tongue to lash more scornful words.

"Hmph, I pity your followers. It must be suffering to worship a god that prefers to speak about useless crap before lending her own herd a hand in their hour of need."

"Haven't you been listening?" exclaimed Mima, exasperated. "The suffering they have experienced is all to make them grow as people! My role as their lead is to guide them to their own goals, and help them prepare for their road to personal success!"

"You have a rather sociopathic conception of 'helping', then."

Mima shook her head, already fed up of the stubborn blacksmith. She levitated several meters up to the sky and, standing in front of Teruhi, she made a dramatic gesture with her arms. At the same time, a circle of moonlight struck the goddess' figure from the skies, heightening the impression that she was a celestial sent from Heaven. Teruhi briefly wondered if that was Mima's powers at work, or just timely coincidence.

"I am Mima, the spirit who leaves Fate to the dream of Eternity!" the goddess spoke in a bombastic voice. "Only those who are willing to suffer and become more than human are worthy of worshipping me, but in return, they all shall see their earnest wishes come true!"

Teruhi was taken aback by her powerful presence, but she procured not to show it.

"Do all of you gods have a penchant for flamboyance? That won't work on me," she lied, seeking refuge in deadpanning.

"You say you pity my followers, but I find yourself more deserving of that compassion," continued Mima, ignoring Teruhi's comment. "With that closed mind of yours, you will miss your chance to leave a mark in this world…"

"What I do is none of your business. I can take care of myself just fine."

"But surely you want more than this?" Mima waved to the stone hut. "You could learn a thing or two from my followers. They all had normal lives like you, but they decided to leave it behind, craving for more."

"If they want it, then good for them. I'm quite happy with my life right now, so I don't want to do anything with you and your group," spouted Teruhi, trying to put an end to the discussion. "I'll have the cart repaired in a week; then you'll continue your way, and I'll keep on with my work. Nothing more, nothing else."

"Such a pity…" sighed Mima, clearly disappointed. "Then this conversation is over. I'll leave the cart and my followers to your care, then."

After saying that, Mima simply disappeared, like she was never there to begin with. Teruhi let out a long sigh, and walked home. Pulling the cart while arguing with that goddess had tired her mind and body to a unusual extreme for the blacksmith. Trying not to make noise, Teruhi dropped her body unceremoniously in her futon and closed her eyes. She was too tired to even take a bath and clean herself. The words of the sorceress floated her mind for a few seconds before Teruhi embraced sleep.


End file.
